Apparatus for handling patients



G. l. ROCKWOOD APPARATUS FOR HANDLING PATIENTS Sept. 30, 19 52 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed ma 7, 1 947 INVENTOR. 660.1 Rockwood BY Q4 7.

JITK

G. l. ROCKWOOD APPARATUS FOR HANDLING PATIENTS Sept. 30, 1952 2- SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed May 7,, 1947 N VEN TOR. eallockwood.

Patented Sept. 30, 1952 UNITED STATES OFFICE Claims. (on. 5-86) This invention relates to apparatus particu' larly designed for use in hospitals and rest homes in which sick or feeble patients must be lifted, turned or moved. These handling operations are commonly performed manually, and the assistance of several persons may be required if the patient is very heavy or if movement of th patient is unusually painful.

It is the general object of this invention to provide improved apparatus by which a patient of any weight may be comfortably lifted, turned or moved to a new location by a singl attendant and without undue effort.

To the attainment of this general object, 1 provide a light but rigid frame which is open at one side, so'that the base of the frame may be moved under the patients bed and so that the offset upper end portion of the frame will overlie the patient.

Further features of the invention relate to improved supporting devices for the patient; to improved lifting, turning and holding mechanism; and to the provision of reliable and effective safety devices.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will b hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improve handling apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail front elevation of a drum and belt connection, looking in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation, taken along the line 55 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a supporting loop or sling, looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a detail side view of an auxiliary belt.

Referring to the drawings, my improved handling apparatus comprises a rigid framework F (Figs. 1 and 2) having head and foot end frame members in and H rigidly secured together by a plurality of spacing tubes 12 and bolts l4. Each frame member, as H! (Fig. 3), comprises an upright front portion iii, a rearwardly projecting lower arm or base member l1, and a rearwardly projecting upper arm I8. These frame members are preferably made of light cast metal, as aluminum, and are also preferably.

.55 rovided by'which'the shafts 42 and 44 may be madein three separate parts for convenience in casting.

The rear sides of the frame members It and l i are entirely open, so that the apparatus may be pushed under and receive a bed, as indicated diagrammatically at B in Fig. 3.

The framework F is normally supported on spaced swivel casters 20 in the frame member Hi and on a single caster 2| on the frame member Ii. The caster 2| is mounted near the middle of the lower arm H of the frame member I i, so that the apparatus has a three-point support only and may be easily shifted in any desired direction.

pivot 21 passes beyond the dead center. This depresses the plunger 25 sufficiently to raise the front caster 20 off of the floor, and a front corner of the framework F is then supported on the lower end of the plunger 25, which prevents displacement thereof.

A lever 32 is pivoted at 33 to the rear portion of the lower arm ll of the frame member ID and is connected by a link 35 to'a bell crank 36 mounted on a fixed pivot 31 and having an arm 33 engaged by a collar 39 on the plunger 25. A spring 40 normally swings the lever 32 clockwise and out of supporting position when the plunger 2%: is lifted by the handle 28'. When the plunger is depressed, the lever 32 is swung to the position shown in Fig. 3 and thus provides a second stationary point of support for th apparatus framework.

Parallel shafts 42 and 44 (Fig. 2)' are mounted in spaced bearings 45 on the upper arms l8 andv tad of the end frame members If! and l!. Gears 4! and 48 arefixed to the shafts 42 and 44 and are intermeshed so that the shafts are rotated in opposite directions.

A crank Ellis mounted on a crankshaftil, and a pinion 52 fixed on the shaft 5| engages a gear 53 fixed on a short shaft 54. A pinion 55, also fixed on the shaft 54, engages the gear 48 previously mentioned.

A power-multiplying train of gearing is thus rotated by turning the crank 50 to raise or lower the patient as desired.

A ratchet 51 (Fig. 3) fixed on the end of the crank shaft 5| is engaged by a locking pawl 58 which rests by gravity on the ratchet 51. The pawl 58 thus holds the load in any desired position and prevents lowering of the load except after manually lifting the pawl 58. The pawl and ratchet thus constitute a safety device-which will hold a patientin'any desired elevated position and which will prevent any accidental drop of a patient.

Drums 60 are fixed to the shafts-fl and-M- and are provided with means for attaching the two ends of a body-supporting belt 62 thereto. Smaller drums or pulleys 65 are also seemed to the shafts 4| and 42 and loops or slings 66 and G1 are connected by chains 68 to the pulleys 65, so that these loops or slings will be raised simultaneously with the-liftingof thebod-yesupporting belt 52.

Special provisionismade for lifting .tl e:head and shoulders of the patient at thesame. time that the body portion-and legs are lifted. For this purpose a swinging tubular member-l6 (Fig. 2) is mounted in bearings bin .thewupright portions [6 and ltaiof the endi,frame.members and l l. The swinging-end portion of the-member 'iflis bent rearwardtas indicatedat ma and the extreme rearl end; portion .of :the part-10a is angularly ofiset as indicatedatrlilb.

The oifset portion-lllbis connected by; a chain 12 to a pulley I3 fixed on the end of theilifting shaft &2. Consequentlyc'thememberFlt-will be swung upward about itsriront -.bearing; portion. as the lifting tack-leiof the .apparatus isir-aised.

A head-rest" frametB e has a loose; swivel 1, connectionatiltto theijportion ll-tact thensyvinging member it. The :free: ends of .the frame :86 are detachably connected ibychainst82 toithe; pulleys '13 on the shafts 42 and. A head-rest 85,;pref- .erably of canvas; is mounted in the frame -80 and may be suitably secured thereto.

With the: construction shown, thea-spacedends of the head frame tilwillbe raised: bysthe chains '32 .as theshatts A24 and M-=are=simultaneously rotated in oppositedirections. and the middle portion of the member 80 willsbezraisedhon:its swivel support 8| as the endportion .lilbuof the tubular member .lB/is swung upward by its chain '12 If the. middleportion. oftheframe. can. supported'on the back ofa chair asa patient is being lowered;thespacedend portions ofthe frame '80 and the "wider part 'of thehead+rest*85 "will be lowered with the patient; whilet-hemiddle portion of the frame andhead-rest remain' raised. A

patient may thus be-easily deposited inasitting recessed pcrtionsvsiof .theizdriums Bilsandare adaptedto receive.- rings #94 connected hynlinks .55 to a cross pin QG'mounted in. the -spaced and looped ends c1 of the belt-.62. HA .latch': Hi9 is pivotedin an extension l 9 .of-.-thereeess- 92; and .thislatchhas auheadedtstiid H12 extending throughaslot in the-drum 6i? and provided with a coil vspringflltB.

In order to release the ringssd from the headed .stud .98, it is necessary forthecperator to reach 'in'side .of-the drum..60.and:.press the -.stud-or plunger [02 outward to raise the latch I 00.

to raise one end of thebelt-and to simultaneously lowerthe otherend for'tui'ning instead of lifting the patient.

One end E241 (Fig. 3) of the belt 62 may be vconnected to'the associated link 95 through a friction device H9, so that the length of the belt may be conveniently adjusted. The device H0 may he .of any usual commercial form.

Having described the details of construction of :myimproved handling apparatus, the operation and advantages thereof will be readily understood. If-it is desired to lift the patient, "the apparatus will he moved up to the side -.of the ibedzasiindicatedin Fig. 3,1-wit-h thelower-arms H extending freely under the bed.

While :the patient is lying: extended on .thehospital bed-. B,-a narrow belt I20 is first passedby hand: underthe patients shoulders,-with the ends pulled up below the armpits-and connected temporarily to the chains; 82. flhenursethen applies lifting power to .the upper .partof the patient by turning .the' crank .58, which oppositelyrotates .theeshafts 42' and.

Space is thus provided.underthepatientis head andshculders, and "this spaceperrnits :the belt 7 .62 to be passed under: the patient. The end 62a istheninserted=throueh t e friction device or clamp lit :and *the .beltx-is-thus adjusted and secured.

The space so obtained also providesclearance under the head and shoulders -,for; inserting the canvas portion 8510f the head-rest-memher-Bfl. The middle portion ofthe frametll is then placed on the swivel connection 81.

and shoulders.

The patient is then loweredto-thabed Bto ielievethe tension on the QhainszSZ, rwhich'are then unhocked from the narrow belt 12 0 and are connected to the endsuof 'ther,head:rst1frame3 80 as shown in Fig. 2. The -loops orgslings 55 581161 6! are then passed over the -patients legsgand'feet and are connected to theehai-ns fifi.

The handle 50 can then be; rotated to: turn the shafts 42 and 4 and raise the -patient--to;provide any desired clearance between the patient and the bed-B, so that -a:sheet;may; be changed or an other desiredr rocedure-.may:;be:carrled out.

- While :thus elevated, the; patient; is very comfortably supported both as to;body,; legs.-:he.ad

-While thus suppor e ctheapparatus may be drawn forwardaway'fmmthe:bed and. the patient maybe-rolled: toaa new location andmay-be depositedwon a bed or; couch orina reclining chair.

The locking, pawlts retainsthailiftingmecha- ..nisn1- until the 'pB W1j iS intentionally:liftedqaway from the ratchet-5! lby the operator. -If the;oper- ,ator; lets goof the pawl 58iaccidentally, i he pawl .immediately drops to. {lockin position;-I and;;preevents further downward movementoi the-patient.

.-If itis desired to. turn insteadof ;ra ise, thepatient,-one end-of the belttlisconnected tothe studi 9011 at. the inside 0f.,the.drum 60 instead of to. the stud at,thev outside. .This endct the belt 62 will thenbe .loweredas .theothcr: end of .-'-the'.belt is. simultaneously raisednthus turning the patient on the bed but without elevating the patient above the bed. Obviously the patient may be turned in either direction by selecting the proper end of the belt 62 for connection to the inside stud 90a.

After the desired handling operations, such as lifting, turning or transporting, have been performed and th patient has been placed in a desired position, the body-supporting belt and the loops or slings are readily disconnected and the apparatus may be removed for use in some other location.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for handling patients comprising a frame open at one side to receive a bed and having longitudinally spaced overhanging head and foot end members, transversely spaced bearings on said members, parallel main shafts rotatably mounted in said bearings, patient-contacting handling tackle mounted on and connected to said shafts, means to simultaneously rotate said shafts to raise at least a portion of said handling tackl and means to lock said rotating means, that im rovement in which the handling apparatus includes a belt to underlie the lower part of the back of the patient, a separate head-supporting structure, means to move that inner edge portion of said head-supporting structure which is nearer said belt upward and downward simultaneously with said belt, and additional means to move the outer edge portion of said structure upward simultaneously with said first-mentioned edge portion, but said additional means including a flexible element and permitting independent downward movement of said first-mentioned edge portion when said outer edge portion is held from downward movement.

2. The combination in an apparatus for handling patients as set forth in claim 1, in which the first mentioned means to raise the head supporting structure comprises a bar pivotally mounted parallel to said main shafts in bearings in said end frame members and having a transversely extending end portion projectin substantially beyond and across the head end frame member and in which said transverse end portion of said bar has a return end part extending toward said head end frame member, and in which the additional means comprises a chain effective to raise the return end part of said bar with said belt, and in which pivotal means connects the outer edge portion of said head-supporting structure to a point in th transverse end portion of said bar.

3. In an apparatus for handling patients comprising a frame open at one side to receive a bed and having longitudinally spaced overhanging head and foot end members, transversely spaced bearings on said members, parallel shafts rotatably mounted in said bearings, patient-contacting handling tackle mounted on and connected to said shafts, means to simultaneously rotate said shafts to raise at least a portion of said handling tackle and means to lock said rotating means, that improvement which comprises drums on said parallel shafts, a belt located to underlie the lower part of the back of a patient to b handled, means to detachably connect the ends of said belt to said drums at predetermined points, additional means to connect either end of said belt to its associated drum at a point oircumferentially and substantially spaced from said first-defined point of connection and with said beltextending circumferentially from said point of attachment in the reverse direction, and means to lock both ends of said belt to said drums in either operative position.

4. In an apparatus for handling patients comprising a fram open at one side to receive a bed and having longitudinally spaced overhanging head and foot end members, transversely spaced bearings on said members, parallel shafts rotatably mounted in said bearings, patient-contacting handling tackle mounted on and connected to said shafts, means to simultaneously rotate said shafts to raise at least a portion of said handling tackle and means to lock said rotating means, that improvement which comprises drums on said parallel shafts, headed studs fixed in said drums to detachably receive the ends of said handling tackle, and spring-closed latches effective to lock said ends from accidental disengagement with said headed studs.

5. In an apparatus for handling patients comprising a frame open at one side to receive a bed and having longitudinally spaced overhanging head and foot end members, transversely spaced bearings on said members, parallel shafts rotatably mounted in said bearings, patient-contacting handling tackle mounted on and connected to said shafts, means to simultaneously rotate a said shafts to raise at least a portion of said handling tackle and means to lock said rotating means, that improvement which comprises drums on said parallel shafts, studs fixed in peripheral recesses in said drums at circumferentially and substantially spaced points on the drum surfaces, said studs selectively and detachably receiving the ends of said handling tackle, and safety devices effective to prevent accidental detachment of said I ends from said studs. 7 V

GEORGE I. ROCKWOOD- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

